Trail of Danger

by Valerie Hansen

  “Yay! Two scoops. Chocolate.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Reed followed the boy’s zigzag path between groups of people, staying close and keeping Jessie on a short lead. Later, he’d ask how the session with Danielle had gone. While Dominic was acting carefree and happy, he was going to let him enjoy himself as much as possible.

  Reed chuckled. Too bad ice cream wasn’t enough to lift Abigail’s spirits or he’d buy out the whole stand for her.

  * * *

  Danielle was easier to work with than Abigail had expected. She started with basic head shapes and added facial details with simple keystrokes until there was no more adjusting to do.

  Danielle held up her laptop. “Well? What do you think?”

  “The skinny one is pretty close. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful with the bigger man. He had a mask on when I first saw him, and I was pretty traumatized later.”

  “Not to worry. These guys run in packs like wolves. Locate one and chances are his buddies won’t be hard to find.” She reached out and patted Abigail’s arm. “You doing okay?”

  A shrug. “I guess so. Just disappointed.”

  “Don’t be. You did great. I’ll send this image to headquarters and make sure all the patrol units get emailed copies. It’s a big city but we have eyes everywhere. We’ll turn him up.”

  “I hope so. I’ve been too nervous to leave my apartment. If Reed—Officer Branson—hadn’t encouraged me, I’d still be stuck there, staring at the walls and jumping every time somebody knocked on my door.”

  “He’s a good cop. A good man. Our unit has had enough grief to last us all a lifetime and we’d hate to see another member hurt, if you get my meaning.”

  Abigail blinked rapidly. Had this stranger somehow glimpsed the truth and become concerned she’d break Reed’s heart?

  “I’d never lead any man on if I wasn’t going to follow through,” Abigail promised. “There really isn’t anything between Reed and me. Honest. He’s just helping out.”

  “Okay. If you say so.” She smiled, and her eyes twinkled behind the large lenses of her designer frames. “Let me give you one of my cards. That way, if you do recall more and Reed isn’t around, you can reach me directly.”

  If Reed isn’t around? Was it possible? Of course it was. There wasn’t even a slim possibility that he was going to keep shepherding her up and down the boardwalk, let alone allow her to live with him and his sister for much longer. It would behoove her to keep that in mind above all else.

  She glanced at the loathsome face staring back at her from the laptop screen. “Will you email a copy of that to me, too, please? I want to be able to show it to my boss in case he comes around my office. We both need to be prepared.”

  “Will do. You ready for your ice cream treat?”

  That brought a real smile. “You think I need bribing?”

  “Nope,” Danielle replied, hitting the button on the key to unlock the doors. “But I do. I was supposed to be eating lobster and steak with a good-looking hunk about now. The least Branson can do is buy me a cone.”

  Stepping out first, Abigail felt as if a heavy load had lifted, physically and emotionally. Directing the formation of that little weasel’s nasty face had helped release part of the burden she’d been carrying. Being out from under that weight was a big relief.

  Providing I’m right, she told herself, sensing the mantle of peace slipping slightly. Had she seen that face somewhere else and imagined it belonging to her attacker? She’d been so positive while in the car, yet doubt was creeping in as the seconds passed.

  She hesitated, frowning. “What if I’m wrong? What if the person I described is innocent? I don’t want to blame someone who doesn’t deserve it.”

  “Let us sort that out,” Danielle said. “It’s your job to do as well as possible and our job to take it from there.”

  “Right. Thanks.” With a sideways nod she indicated which direction they should go. “I know where the guys probably went. Come on. Let’s surprise them.”

  As Abigail’s gaze passed over the crowd, her subconscious gave her a start. Whoa! Was that...? No way. She had to be hallucinating after the recent sketch session. There was no other explanation why someone would look so familiar. Unless...

  She turned and grabbed her companion’s arm. “Look. Over my shoulder. Do you see him?”

  “Who?”

  “The guy in my sketch. He’s standing by the ticket booth.” The look on Danielle’s face wasn’t comforting. “You see him, don’t you?”

  Golden curls bobbed and earrings swung as the other woman said, “Sorry.”

  Abigail whirled. There was nobody around who even remotely resembled the person she’d described. So why was her pulse running wild and her mouth as dry as beach sand in July?

  Chin up, she stood tall and reclaimed the shred of peace remaining, figuratively wrapping herself in hopes of anonymity. Maybe she had made a mistake. It was certainly possible. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to become complacent.

  He was out there somewhere.

  She could feel the menace.

  And someday soon she was going to spot him for real.

  SIXTEEN

  The drive back to Queens seemed to fly by for Reed, undoubtedly because his brain was occupied by more than safe driving.

  A glance in the mirror told him that the boy and dog had fallen asleep sharing the rear seat. Dom had one arm over Jessie’s shoulders, his head pillowed on the K-9’s soft fur.

  Just to be certain, Reed cleared his throat before speaking. Nobody except Abigail paid the slightest attention. If he told her what he suspected, would it make matters worse or better? There was no way to tell. As he saw it, knowing to be cautious was the lesser of two evils.

  “I was studying that face you and Danielle came up with,” he began. “Something about him looked familiar.”

  Reed saw her eyes widen, her lips part as if she might gasp.

  Instead, she said, “I thought so, too. Do you think I subconsciously described somebody else we saw on the boardwalk?”

  “Not necessarily. That was where you were when you were attacked. Maybe the original thugs were hanging around and decided to come closer to check you out. See what you remembered.”

  “That’s not a very comforting idea.”

  “No, but it can be a useful warning.”

  “Surely they won’t try anything again. Not while I’m with you and Jessie.”

  “You’re right.” He wanted to reassure her without making her worry. “But life has to go on, Abigail. I won’t always be close by. That’s why it’s so important for you to keep remembering more about your ordeal.”

  “I know, I know. You don’t have to beat me over the head with it. Don’t you think I’m doing the best I can?” She looked contrite before adding, “Sorry. It’s not your fault.”

  He paused to regroup. “I was trying to explain that this isn’t my regular area of coverage. The K-9s in my unit move all over the city, go to wherever we’re needed most. I could be called away at any time. I want you to promise you’ll stay aware of your surroundings and be very cautious.”

  She humphed. “Hey, I was doing fine hiding out in my apartment until you made me leave.”

  “Circumstances made you leave, not me,” Reed countered. “You know that as well as I do. And while we’re on the subject, what do you make of Kiera’s panic earlier? When she got scared, grabbed the boy and took off, she was white as a sheet.”

  Abigail eyed the sleeping duo in the rear seat. “He knows what’s going on. He must. Do you think we can persuade him to tell us?”

  “I’m not sure. Getting him to describe the guy who may have killed my chief was a big step.”

  Abigail gave a cynical chuckle. “Hey, convincing him to step foot inside this vehicle in the first place wa
s giant. I thought we were going to lose him right then.”

  “It’s thanks to you and Danielle that we didn’t,” Reed reminded her. “If I had been the only adult around he might not have agreed to anything.”

  “You’ve read his file?”

  Reed nodded solemnly. “Yeah. He’s all alone in the world. Little wonder he won’t settle down in foster care. He has nothing left to go home to so he probably doesn’t see the advantage of good behavior.”

  “Exactly.” She leaned a little closer, making Reed’s pulse jump. “Can I see the picture he came up with?”

  “Sure.” Hitting a key on the system in the center console, he displayed the criminal’s face on a screen.

  “He looks enormous. Beefy. But I suppose any adult male would look gigantic to a boy Dom’s size.”

  “Probably. Still, it’s a start. The image has already gone out to all units and been posted at every precinct.”

  “I hope and pray you catch him.”

  Hearing pathos in her voice, Reed replied, “I wish we could jail them all and throw away the keys. Sometimes I wonder if we’re even gaining ground. It’s ridiculous to imagine getting every scrap of dirt swept up, so to speak, but I can dream.”

  To his surprise, she smiled. “You’d better not wipe out all the crime in New York. If you do, you’ll be out of a job.”

  “I don’t think there’s much chance of that,” Reed said. “So, how are you feeling after your session with Danielle? I didn’t want to ask while she was around.”

  “The session wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the ice cream afterward,” Abigail said. “I just wish Kiera had been with us.”

  “She’ll turn up soon,” Reed promised. “As long as she’s more worried about other kids than she is about herself, she’ll come back.” Once more he checked the rear seat. Thankfully, nothing had changed since the last time he’d looked.

  “That speaks well of her,” Abigail ventured. “If she were more self-centered, I’d see less chance of helping her learn to live a normal life.”

  “The way you do?”

  That made her laugh again. “Um, yeah, well, let’s reserve judgment on that subject until I remember the rest of the details of my attack, shall we? Right now, nothing feels normal to me.”

  Reed almost snorted in self-disgust. Instead, he said, “Yeah, well, there’s a lot of that attitude going around.”

  * * *

  Home, to Abigail, was still her empty apartment, and she desperately wanted to return to it for the solace found there. However, since Dominic was now a part of their little displaced group, she felt obligated to remain with Lani and Reed, at least for the time being.

  What surprised her was Reed showing up at breakfast the next morning in his uniform.

  “I’ve been called in to work,” he told his sister, Abigail and Dominic. “They need Jessie, so we’ll be gone today.”

  Lying under the table, the bloodhound thumped her tail on the floor while the black Lab pup chewed a squeaky toy.

  Lani reached over and gave Reed a playful punch in the shoulder. “You’re obviously irreplaceable. I’ll be glad when I get a dog of my own to partner.”

  Grateful for a benign topic of conversation, Abigail asked, “How long have you been a police officer?”

  “Not quite long enough to be assigned a dog,” the slightly younger woman answered. “But it won’t be long now. I can hardly wait.”

  “Too bad Midnight isn’t qualified.” Hearing her name called, the pup began to paw at Abigail’s knee, then switched to pulling on her shoelaces until he had them untied.

  “Yes, you,” Abigail said, grinning. “Stop that. Bad.”

  “Clip her leash on her collar so you have control,” Reed said. “Then you can give corrections properly. Timing is everything. She won’t know what she’s done wrong unless you correct immediately.”

  “Okay. Sorry. There’s a lot to learn, isn’t there?”

  “You’ll catch on,” Lani assured her. “Just be consistent and if you’re not sure, ask. I’ll be glad to coach you while Reed’s gone today.”

  “Will do. At least Midnight will keep me occupied until I go back to work full-time.” Thoughts of resuming her job gave her the shivers. She’d have to accept Reed’s offer of a ride. Being shut up in a train car with strangers pushing in on her from every side was the stuff of nightmares.

  Reed rose and carried his plate and coffee mug to the sink. “Gotta go. See you all later.”

  Abigail knew she was going to miss him something awful despite not being totally alone, but there was no way she’d let on. Whether Reed sensed her angst or not was a mystery. Part of her hoped he did while another part wanted to keep those inappropriate sentiments private.

  Catching his eye as he donned his gear, she smiled, hoping he’d reciprocate. Instead, she got a look that bordered on an unspoken warning right before he said, “Stay here and stay inside unless Lani is with you and keep an eye on Dom.”

  That was so clearly an order, she bristled. Nevertheless, she said, “Okay, okay. I get it.”

  Did he really think her troubles would follow her all the way to his house? That seemed highly unlikely. Although there had been a prowler at her apartment, the police had never proved who he was or why he’d broken in. It could just as easily have been an isolated incident. After all, the prowler hadn’t tried to harm her when he’d had the chance. He could have been a total stranger. As Reed had said, they were a long way from ending crime in the city.

  And she’d been of little help, particularly if her facial reconstruction had been of someone other than her original attacker. She visualized the thin, menacing face. Those squinty eyes. The bad teeth and lips that seemed ready to snarl like a rabid dog. His was a hard face to forget.

  While she helped Lani clear the table, Abigail tried to pull her mind away from negatives and enjoy watching Dominic wrestle on the living room floor with Midnight. A half-grown boy and a rambunctious puppy were meant for each other. It was hard to imagine either of them becoming mature, productive members of society, yet that was her aim. It had to be. If her hard road in life had shown her anything, it was that redemption was not only possible, it was a worthwhile goal.

  Left alone, without proper intervention, anybody could become a criminal, even the most tenderhearted people. Kiera was a prime example. At this stage of life she could go either way. She still cared about others. But she also looked out for number one. When a crisis came, would she choose the right fork in the road or barrel down the wrong one into the oblivion of drugs or other unspeakable acts?

  Picturing the girl and recalling her attitude toward authority, Abigail felt her own stomach clench. She looked around the Branson kitchen and living room. Framed family pictures on the walls and a homey feeling weren’t enough to take the place of Reed’s actual presence.

  His leaving had left a void despite it being temporary. For no logical reason she was scared. Again. Abigail shivered, glancing at Lani and hoping to draw comfort.

  Instead, the other woman was drying her hands and peering out the window over the sink.

  Abigail was hardly able to ask, “What is it? What do you see?”

  “Not sure.” Lani laid aside the damp towel and opened a nearby drawer. Her hand closed around the grip of a handgun. She pulled a clip from a higher cupboard and loaded, chambering a round while aiming at the ceiling and continuing to monitor the small fenced yard.

  No one had to tell Abigail to step back and keep her head down. She was getting all too used to strategic avoidance.

  Hunched over, she hurried toward the boy and puppy, wondering how in the world she was going to protect them when the only weapon she possessed was her wits.

  * * *

  If Lani hadn’t been home with Abigail and Dominic, Reed didn’t know how he’d have coped. Yes, the chances of trouble at his hou
se were slim. He knew that. He also knew that Abigail’s nemesis had struck unexpectedly before. Right now, however, he had other concerns.

  A bank in Brooklyn had been robbed and witnesses reported one of the thieves had escaped on foot. Jessie followed his trail as far as an alley, then lost the scent.

  “Looks like he caught a ride,” Reed reported via radio. “We’ll be ten-ninety-nine, available in a couple of minutes.”

  He allowed his dog to carry her reward toy as they backtracked. That was the trouble with this job. Not every task ended in definitive success. It was his duty to not only direct his K-9 partner but to also keep up her spirits. She had to be made to feel some accomplishment or she might become depressed over her failure.

  “Kind of like I feel about Abigail’s stalker,” he muttered in disgust. Jessie looked up at him, her eyes questioning, her tail still. “Yes, you’re a good girl,” Reed assured her. “A good, good dog.”

  That obviously pleased her because the spring in her step returned and she paced happily at his side, wagging vigorously enough to cause bystanders to step back and give them extra room.

  Normally, Reed was as eager as his K-9 partner to respond to an incident. This was who he was, what he did. His identity. And yet today, all he wanted was to be released and make his way back to Queens. To his home. To Abigail.

  Like it or not, he kept having disturbing thoughts about her safety. Lani was home and would watch over her and the boy, he knew, so he should have been satisfied. Well, he wasn’t. Not even close. The same instinct that often kept him alive in dark alleys and dangerous neighborhoods was currently prickling the short hair on the nape of his neck and sending shivers along his spine.

  Pausing just short of the patrol cars grouped in front of the bank, he pulled out his cell phone. A quick call to his sister would put his mind at ease.

  Although he wanted to phone Abigail instead, he figured Lani would be more inclined to deliver the kind of clear status report he craved.